2 Chronicles 20

Jehoshaphat in his fear proclaimeth a fast.

2 Chronicles 20:1 After that came the chyldren of Moab and the chyldren of Ammon and wyth them of the Ammonites agaynst Iehosaphat to battel. 2 Chronicles 20:2 And there came that told Iehosaphat saying: ther cometh a great multitude against the from the other syde the sea oute of Siria. And se they be in Hasason Thamar whyche is Engadi. 2 Chronicles 20:3 And Iehosaphat feared, & let him selfe to seke the Lorde, & proclaymed fastinge thorow out al Iuda. 2 Chronicles 20:4 And Iuda gathered them selues together for to aske counsel of the lord. And therto there came oute of al the cytyes of Iuda to seke the Lord.

His prayer.

2 Chronicles 20:5 And Iehosaphat stode in the congregacion of Iuda and Ierusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court 2 Chronicles 20:6 and sayde: Lorde God of oure fathers, arte not thou God in heauen, & raygnest not thou on all the kyngedomes of the Heathen? And in thyne hande is power and might, that noman can stande before the. 2 Chronicles 20:7 Art not thou oure God whiche diddest cast oute the enhabyters of this lande before thy people Israel, & gauest it to the seade of Abraham thy louer for euer? 2 Chronicles 20:8 And they dwelt therin and haue buylt the a temple therin vnto thy name, and said: 2 Chronicles 20:9 when euyll cometh vpon vs, as the swerde of iudgement, pestilence or hongre: then yf we stande before this house and before the (for thy name is in thys house) and shall crye vnto the in oure trybulacyon, thou shalt heare and helpe. 2 Chronicles 20:10 And now beholde, the children of Ammon & Moab & mount Seir, by whiche thou wouldest not let Israel go, when they came out of Egypte: but they departed from them & destroyed them not. 2 Chronicles 20:11 And se, how they reward vs, to come for to cast vs oute of thy possession whyche thou hast possessed vs with al. 2 Chronicles 20:12 O oure God, wylt thou not iudge them? for we haue no myght agaynst this great company þt cometh against vs. Neyther wote we what to do: but oure eyes be vnto the. 2 Chronicles 20:13 And as all Iuda stode before the lorde wt their younge ones, their wyues and their children,

The prophecy of Jahaziel.

2 Chronicles 20:14 the spyryte of the Lorde came vpon Iahaziel the sonne of Zachariah the sonne of Banaiah the sonne of Ieiel the sonne of Mathaniah a Leuite of the sonnes of Asaph, euen as he was in the myddes of the congregacion: 2 Chronicles 20:15 And he sayde: herken all Iuda, and the enhabiters of Ierusalem, and also kynge Iehosaphat. Thus sayth the Lorde vnto you: be not afrayde or faynte herted by reason of thys great multitude. For the warre is not youres, but Goddes. 2 Chronicles 20:16 And to morow ye shall go doune to them: se, they come vp at Ziz, & ye shall mete them in the flagges of the broke before the wyldernesse of Ieruel. 2 Chronicles 20:17 Moreouer it belongeth not to you for to fight in this quarell: but stepe forth and stande and behold the helpe of the Lorde whiche is wyth you: feare not, nor let youre hartes fayle you, O ye of Iuda and of Ierusalem. To morow go out to them: for the Lorde is with you. 2 Chronicles 20:18 And Iehosaphat bowed hym self with his face to the citie, & al Iuda and the enhabiters of Ierusalem fell before the Lorde, to bowe them selues vnto the Lorde. 2 Chronicles 20:19 And the Leuites and the children of the Cahathites & of the Corathites stode vp, to prayse the Lorde God of Israel with a loud voyce on hye.

Jehoshaphat exhorteth the people, and setteth singers to praise the LORD.

2 Chronicles 20:20 And so they arose erlye in the mornyng, and get them out vnto the wyldernesse of Tekua. And as they went out, Iehosaphat stode and sayde: heare me Iuda, and ye enhabyters of Ierusalem. Beleue in the Lorde youre God, and so shall ye continue: and beleue his prophetes & so shall ye prospere. 2 Chronicles 20:21 And he gaue the people counsell, & set the syngers of the Lorde, & them that praysed in holy apparel, to go out before þe army and to saye: prayse the Lorde, for hys mercye lasteth euer.

The great overthrow of the enemies.

2 Chronicles 20:22 And what tyme they beganne to laude & praise, then the Lord set laiers awaite agaynste the children of Ammon and Moab and mounte Seir, to destroye them vtterly & to wype them out. 2 Chronicles 20:23 And when they had made an ende of the enhabyters of Seir, then they holpe to destroye eche other. 2 Chronicles 20:24 And when Iuda came to Mazphah in the wyldernesse, they loked vnto the multitude. And beholde, they were deade carcases fallen to the earthe, and none escaped. 2 Chronicles 20:25 And Iehosaphat and hys people went to robbe awaye the spoyle of them and founde amonge them aboundaunce of goodes and rayment & of pleasaunt Iewelles, and caught from them more then they coulde carye awaye: so that they were thre dayes in gatherynge of the spoyle, it was so muche.

The people, having blessed God at Berachah, return in triumph.

2 Chronicles 20:26 And the fourth daye they assembled in the valeye of blessynge, for there they blessed the Lord. And therfore they called the name of the sayd place the valeie of blessynge vnto thys daye. 2 Chronicles 20:27 And also the men of Iuda and Ierusalem returned & Iehosaphat amonge the thyckest of them, for to go again to Ierusalem wyth gladnesse: for the Lorde hath made them to reioyse of their enemyes. 2 Chronicles 20:28 And they came to Ierusalem wyth psalteries & harpes and trompettes, euen vnto the house of the Lorde. 2 Chronicles 20:29 And the feare of God fell in the kyngedomes of all landes, when they had hearde, that the Lord fought agaynst the enemyes of Israel. 2 Chronicles 20:30 And so the reaulme of Iehosaphat was in tranquyllytie, for hys God had geuen hym rest on euery syde.

Jehoshaphat's reign.

2 Chronicles 20:31 And Iehosaphat raigned vpon Iuda, and was .xxxv. yeare olde when he beganne to raygne, and raygned .xxv. yeare in Ierusalem. And his mothers name was Asuba þe doughter of Silhi. 2 Chronicles 20:32 And he walked in the waye of Asa his father & bowed not therfrom, to do þt was pleasaunt in the syght of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 20:33 How be it, they put not doune the hilaulters, nether did the people yet prepare their hertes vnto þe God of their fathers. 2 Chronicles 20:34 The rest of the actes of Iehosaphat fyrste and laste are written in the worckes of Iehu the sonne of Hanani, which noted them in the boke of the kinges of Israel.

His convoy of ships, which he made with Ahaziah, according to the prophecy of Eliezer, unhappily perished.

2 Chronicles 20:35 After this, Iehosaphat king of Iuda ioyned hym selfe with Ohoziah kynge of Israel whiche was a wycked doar. 2 Chronicles 20:36 And he coupled hym selfe with him, to make shippes to go to Tharsis. And they made the shippes in Azion Gaber. 2 Chronicles 20:37 And Eliezer the sonne of Dodonah of Maresa prophesyed agaynste Iehosaphat saynge: because thou hast ioyned thy selfe wt Ohoziah, the Lord hath broken thy workes. And the shyppes were broken that they were not able to go to Tharsis.